Ring Road Itinerary
Iceland has been floating around my top destinations to visit for quite some time.
Everywhere I go, I see stunning photos of endless waterfalls, rugged coastlines, and breathtaking landscapes plastered all over social media.
Typically, before we knew much about the country, we immediately included it in our Top 50 Adventure Vacations to Complete. We wanted to see if the hype about this country was real!
If you are planning to drive around the Icelandic Ring Road, you are in the right place, according to a business pally advisor.
In this detailed self-driving itinerary, I’ll present our tips on where to rent a van, which campsites (or hotels) we recommend staying at, plus a detailed travel itinerary with things to see along the way.
Speaking from experience, trying to plan an itinerary around the ring road was difficult as there was a lot of information, so I decided to create this guide.
In addition to sharing my itinerary, I’ll also include detailed maps to help make this road trip as smooth as possible for you.
Icelandic Ring Road
The Ring Road is a national highway that takes you all over Iceland, connecting most of its small islands. The road itself is incredibly well maintained, with up-to-date road safety monitoring!
Driving this scenic road is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, as each day’s scenery is completely different from the one before.
As it is the main road in Iceland, driving this route will allow you to easily access most of its main attractions, while still enjoying the sheer ruggedness that Iceland is known for.
Best time to drive the ring road
Coming from the Philippines, I am used to warm tropical beaches so when we started toying with the idea of ​​visiting Iceland during the winter, I have to admit I was a bit hesitant.
However, it turns out that this was one of the best decisions we made because we were able to enjoy the place without the rush of too many tourists.
The snow also made the experience completely different, according to chaktty.
Our Camp Easy van was well insulated and had an amazing heater (which we had on the lowest setting for the entire trip!)
Travelling during the winter: If you plan to travel during the winter months, make sure you take the proper winter gear with you!
Check out our guides to the best thermal underwear, hiking boots ( for men and for women ), and packable down jackets .
Cheer up! It’s cold – merino wool, a good down jacket, plus a waterproof outer layer are a must!
Should I drive on the Ring Road clockwise or counterclockwise?
There is no right or wrong answer to this as you really can go either way.
My advice is to make your decision based on time!
The Icelandic Weather Office is a fantastic source and this is something you should check daily as the weather can change in an instant.
In short, you can follow it counterclockwise which is what we did or choose to reverse this itinerary.
Which of the best car rental services should you use?
Campervan vs. Car Rental?
Although this depends on your personal preferences, we loved traveling in our motorhome.
We felt that it really added to the whole experience and gave us the freedom to stop whenever we wanted.
Although you can no longer camp, if you are driving a car and staying in hotels along the road, you will most likely need to book this accommodation in advance.
Being in a caravan there were times we didn’t feel like driving for another hour which meant we just looked for the nearest campsite to stay at.
If you have a budget, we recommend caravans, since hotel prices have skyrocketed in recent years.
General Thoughts on the Icelandic Ring Road
To conclude this itinerary, Iceland is a destination that everyone should visit at least once!
It has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and some of the nicest people too.
Every day of our trip, we were in awe of the breathtaking landscapes.
What surprised me the most was the variety of everything.
